The period from 1885 to 1905 is known as the Moderate Phase and moderates were the leaders of this phase. The national leaders who dominated the Congress policies during this period, such as Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozshah Mehta, D.E. Wacha, W.C. Bonnerjea, and S.N. Banerjea, were staunch believers in 'liberalism' and moderate politics and came to be referred to as Moderates to distinguish them from the neo-nationalists of the early twentieth century who were called extremists. Indian nationalism emerged in the latter half of the nineteenth century as a result of a variety of factors such as western education, socio-religious reforms, British policies, and so on. In this article, we will discuss the Moderate Phase which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Moderate Phase - Features

• Between 1885 and 1905, the Early Nationalists, also known as the Moderates, were a group of political leaders in India whose appearance signaled the beginning of India's organized national movement.
• Pherozeshah Mehta and Dadabhai Naoroji were two important moderate leaders.
• Members of the group were drawn from educated middle-class professionals such as lawyers, teachers, and government officials, with many of them having received their education in England.
• The moderate political activity involved constitutional agitation within the bounds of the law and demonstrated a slow but orderly political progression.
• The moderates believed that the British essentially wanted to be fair to the Indians but were unaware of the actual circumstances.
• As a result, if public opinion could be formed in the country and public demands presented to the government through resolutions, petitions, meetings, and so on, the authorities would gradually concede these demands.
• To accomplish these goals, they used a two-pronged strategy:
  • First, they created a strong public opinion to arouse consciousness and national spirit, and then they educated and united people on common political issues;
  • Second, they persuaded the British Government and British public opinion to implement reforms in India along the lines laid out by the nationalists.
• In order to accomplish this, a British committee of the Indian National Congress was formed in London in 1899, with India serving as its organ.
• Dadabhai Naoroji devoted a significant portion of his life and fortune to advocating for India's cause abroad.
• It was decided in 1890 to hold a session of the Indian National Congress in London in 1892, but due to the British elections in 1891, the proposal was postponed and never revived.

Moderate Phase - Objectives

• To establish a democratic, nationalist movement.
• Politicize and politically educate people.
• Establish a movement's headquarters.
• To promote friendly relations among nationalist political workers from various parts of the country.
• To create and spread an anti-colonial nationalist ideology.
• Formulate and present popular demands to the government in order to unite the people around a common economic and political program.
• Develop and consolidate a sense of national unity among people of all religions, castes, and provinces.
• To promote and cultivate Indian nationhood with care.

Moderate Phase - Important Leaders

Dadabhai Naoroji

• He was dubbed the "Grand Old Man of India."
• He was the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons.
• Authored the book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule in India,' which focused on India's economic drain as a result of British policies.

Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee

• The first president of the Indian National Congress (INC).
• Lawyer by profession and the first Indian to serve as Standing Counsel.

G.Subramania Aiyer

• He founded the newspaper 'The Hindu,' in which he criticized British imperialism.
• In addition, he founded the Tamil newspaper 'Swadesamitran.'
• Madras Mahajana Sabha was co-founded by him.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

• He was known as Mahatma Gandhi's political mentor.
• The Servants of India Society was founded by him.

Surendranath Banerjee

• Also known as 'Rashtraguru' and 'Indian Burke.'
• The Indian National Association was founded by him and it later merged with the INC.
• Banerjee was cleared for the Indian Civil Service but was fired due to racial discrimination.
• The Bengalee newspaper was founded by him.

Rash Behari Ghosh, R C Dutt, M G Ranade, Pherozeshah Mehta, P R Naidu, Madan Mohan Malaviya, P. Ananda Charlu, and William Wedderburn were among the other moderate leaders.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Important Leaders of Moderate Phase

Method used by the Moderates

• In order to achieve their goal, they made a number of reform demands and criticized government policies.
• They valued patience and reconciliation over violence and confrontation.
• They relied on constitutional and peaceful means to achieve their goal.
• They concentrate on educating people, raising their political consciousness, and forming public opinion.
• The Moderates organized lectures in various parts of England in order to create public opinion. In England, a weekly journal called India was published for distribution among the British people.
• Moderates used various types of newspapers and chronicles to criticize government policies, including the Bengali newspaper, the Bombay Chronicle, the Hindustan Times, Induprakash, Rast Goftar, and the weekly journal India.
• They also asked the government to conduct an investigation and find ways and means to solve the problems that people were experiencing.
• They got together and talked about social, economic, and cultural issues.
• Meetings were held in England, Mumbai, Allahabad, Pune, and Calcutta, among other places.

Contributions of Moderate Nationalists

Economic Critique of British Imperialism

• Early nationalists such as Dadabhai Naoroji, R.C. Dutt, Dinshaw Wacha, and others carefully examined the political economy of British rule in India and proposed the "drain theory" to explain British exploitation of India.
• They were opposed to the conversion of a largely self-sufficient Indian economy into a colonial economy.
• As a result, the Moderates were able to create an all-India public opinion that British rule was the primary cause of India's poverty and economic backwardness.
• To alleviate the deprivation that pervades Indian life, early nationalists advocated for the end of India's economic dependence on Britain and the development of an independent economy through the involvement of Indian capital and enterprise.
• The early nationalists demanded a reduction in inland revenue, the abolition of the salt tax, better working conditions for plantation laborers, a reduction in military spending, and so on.

Constitutional Reforms

• Until 1920, India's legislative councils had no real official power. Nonetheless, the work done in them by nationalists aided the growth of the national movement.
• The Imperial Legislative Council, established by the Indian Councils Act (1861), was an impotent body created to pass official measures as if they had been passed by a representative body.
• From 1862 to 1892, only forty-five Indians were nominated to it, with the majority of them "being wealthy, landed, and with loyalist interests."
• Only a few political figures and independent intellectuals were nominated, including Syed Ahmed Khan, Kristodas Pal, V.N. Mandlik, K.L. Nulkar, and Rashbehari Ghosh.
• From 1885 to 1892, nationalist demands for constitutional reform centered on:
  • council expansion—that is, greater participation of Indians in councils; and
  • council reform—that is, more powers to councils, particularly greater control over finances.

Campaign for General Administrative Reform

The moderates campaigned on the following grounds:

• Indianisation of government service on :
  • on economic grounds, because British civil servants received very high emoluments while including Indians would be more economical;
  • on political grounds, because salaries of British bureaucrats were remitted back home and pensions paid in England (all drawn from Indian revenue), this amounted to an economic drain of national resources; and
  • on moral grounds, because Indians were being discriminated against by being kept away from positions of power.
• Separation of judicial and executive powers.
• An oppressive and tyrannical bureaucracy, as well as an expensive and time-consuming judicial system, have been criticized.
• Criticism of an aggressive foreign policy that resulted in the annexation of Burma, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the suppression of tribals in the North West.
• Increased spending on welfare (i.e., health, sanitation), education (especially elementary and technical), irrigation works and agricultural improvement, agricultural banks for cultivators, and so on.
• Better treatment for Indian laborers in other British colonies, where they faced oppression and racial discrimination.

Protection of Civil Rights

• These rights included the freedom of expression, thought, association, and the press.
• The nationalists were able to spread modern democratic ideas through an unending campaign, and soon the defense of civil rights became an integral part of the freedom struggle.
• The arrest of Tilak and several other leaders and journalists in 1897, as well as the arrest and deportation of the Natu brothers without a trial, sparked widespread public outrage.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link contribution of Moderate Nationalists

Achievements of the Moderates

• Their demands for constitutional reform were supposed to be met by the Indian Councils Act of 1892.
• The Indian Councils Act of 1892 increased the number of members in the Imperial Legislative Councils and Provincial Legislative Councils.
• Legislative Councils were given additional responsibilities, such as budget debate and questioning the executive.
• In the central and provincial legislative councils, indirect elections (nominations) were implemented.
• During Congress sessions, these reforms were harshly criticized. They now demanded a majority of elected Indians, as well as control over the budget, i.e. the ability to vote on and amend the budget.
• They coined the phrase "No taxation without representation."

Limitations of the Moderates

• The educated elites dominated this stage of the national movement.
• They never sought or felt compelled to involve the masses in the way Gandhi did.
• Their attachment to Western political thought further distanced them from the people.
• They never sought complete independence from the British and were content with dominion status with increased autonomy and self-rule.

Evaluation of Early Nationalist

• They represented the most progressive forces in the country at the time.
• They were able to create a widespread national awakening of all Indians who shared common interests and the need to unite behind a common cause against a common foe, and above all, a sense of belonging to one nation.
• They educated people about politics and popularized modern ideas.
• They exposed colonial rule's fundamentally exploitative nature, undermining its moral foundations.
• Their political work was founded on hard realities rather than shallow sentiments, religion, and so on.
• They were successful in establishing the fundamental political truth that India should be governed in the interests of Indians.
• They laid the groundwork for a more vigorous, militant, mass-based national movement in the years that followed.
• They did not, however, broaden their democratic base or the scope of their demands.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Early Nationalist Methodology

Conclusion

The Moderate leaders believed that political ties with Britain were in India's best interests at the time and that the time had not come for a direct challenge to British rule. As a result, it was thought appropriate to attempt to transform colonial rule into something resembling national rule. The Moderates were unable to take significant political positions against the authorities due to a lack of mass participation. On this point, the later nationalists differed from the Moderates. Nonetheless, early nationalists fought for the emerging Indian nation against colonial interests.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following leaders was a prominent figure of the Moderate Phase?

A. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
B. Lala Lajpat Rai
C. Dadabhai Naoroji
D. Bipin Chandra Pal

2. What was the primary method of political agitation used by the Moderates?

A. Armed rebellion
B. Petitions and resolutions
C. Mass protests
D. Boycott of British goods

3. The Drain of Wealth theory was popularized by which Moderate leader?

A. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
B. Dadabhai Naoroji
C. Surendranath Banerjee
D. Pherozeshah Mehta

4. Which demand was raised by the Moderates during their phase?

A. Complete independence
B. Swaraj (self-rule)
C. Indian representation in legislative councils
D. Armed revolt against the British

5. Why did the Moderates not actively engage the masses in their political campaigns?

A. They lacked support from the British
B. They believed in elite constitutional methods
C. They feared mass uprisings
D. They had no organizational structure

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Examine the role of the Moderate Phase in the growth of Indian nationalism.

Answer: The Moderate Phase (1885-1905) played a crucial role in the growth of Indian nationalism. The leaders of this phase, including Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Surendranath Banerjee, laid the foundation for political awareness by advocating for reforms through constitutional means. Their economic criticism, such as the Drain of Wealth theory, exposed the exploitative nature of British rule. Although their methods were peaceful and non-confrontational, they helped foster a sense of political unity among the educated Indian middle class. Their failure to achieve significant reforms led to the rise of the more radical Extremist leaders after 1905.

Q2: Discuss the limitations of the Moderates in achieving political goals during the period 1885-1905.

Answer: The Moderates were limited in their ability to achieve substantial political reforms due to several factors. Firstly, their methods of petitions and resolutions were ineffective against a colonial government that was largely indifferent to their demands. Secondly, the Moderates failed to mobilize the masses, focusing instead on the educated elite. Their reliance on British benevolence and fairness further weakened their impact, as they did not challenge the fundamental nature of British imperialism. These limitations led to growing dissatisfaction and eventually to the rise of Extremists within the Congress, who advocated for more assertive methods of protest.

Q3: Analyze the contributions of the Moderate leaders to India’s political awakening, despite their failures.

Answer: Despite their limited success in achieving political reforms, the Moderates contributed significantly to India’s political awakening. Leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale articulated the economic exploitation of India through their speeches and writings, especially with Naoroji’s Drain of Wealth theory. They emphasized the need for constitutional reforms, Indian representation in legislative councils, and civil service reforms. Their focus on political education laid the foundation for future generations of leaders. The failure of the Moderates to achieve tangible results, however, led to the rise of the Extremist faction within the Indian National Congress after 1905.

Previous Year Questions from Moderate Phase (1885-1905)

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2018

Question: Which of the following leaders is associated with the Drain of Wealth theory during the Moderate Phase?
A. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
B. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
C. Dadabhai Naoroji
D. Surendranath Banerjee

Answer: C

Explanation: Dadabhai Naoroji is closely associated with the Drain of Wealth theory, which he articulated in his book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India." Naoroji argued that British economic policies were systematically transferring wealth from India to Britain, impoverishing the Indian economy. His theory became a key argument of the Moderates in their demand for economic reforms and Indian representation in governance.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020 (GS Paper 1)

Question: Discuss the methods adopted by the Moderates in their struggle for constitutional reforms. What were their key demands?

Explanation: The Moderates adopted peaceful, constitutional methods such as petitions, resolutions, and memorandums to articulate their demands for reforms. They sought increased Indian representation in legislative councils, reform of the civil services, and separation of the executive and judiciary. The Moderates did not advocate for complete independence but focused on achieving political reforms through dialogue with the British. Their key demands included lowering taxes, reducing military expenditure, and greater involvement of Indians in decision-making processes, all aimed at addressing India’s economic and political concerns.